Grotesk’s The Wannabe Bike Messenger Illustration

by Staff, December 22, 2008

grotesk wannabe messenger artwork 1 Grotesks The Wannabe Bike Messenger Illustration

Grotesk is a Swiss graphic artist living in Brooklyn. In the last decade, he has developed a passion for folk art, street photography, and hand painted signs.  He has done artwork for companies out there including Staple, Alife, Hellz Bellz, and Stussy.  Right now, we have a great look at some of his newest artwork: a spotlight on his satirical take on wannabe bike messengers in New York.

grotesk wannabe messenger artwork 2 Grotesks The Wannabe Bike Messenger Illustration

46 Responses

  1. Posted by: pork on December 27, 2008 at 7:04 pm

    damnit. he got me dead square in the tittie

  2. Posted by: kelvinseo on December 25, 2008 at 1:30 am

    haha i like it! don’t hate

  3. Posted by: x TONYBALONEY x on December 24, 2008 at 12:18 pm

    I own the “original” bicycle.

  4. Posted by: Hip-set turdgand on December 23, 2008 at 9:35 pm

    What Aaron said.

  5. Posted by: HB718 on December 23, 2008 at 7:25 pm

    None of the X-MEN ride like this.. So If You aren’t a messenger in NYC or was one, then you’re frontin’.

  6. Posted by: HipsterHater on December 23, 2008 at 7:11 pm

    Wow…looks like the Mission here in San Francisco. Word up to Zeitgeist and the Tamale Lady!

  7. Posted by: joecool on December 23, 2008 at 3:55 pm

    the thing is. it is good BUT no bike messenger i know doesnt dress like that. so you cant really call it a “wannabe” cuz i even dress like this sorta and i am a bike messenger

  8. Posted by: Aaron on December 23, 2008 at 12:23 pm

    If you have to say you were there before the trend, you weren’t.

  9. Posted by: Bazooka X Joe on December 23, 2008 at 12:21 pm

    Omg! The pointless keys!! Yes,so played out…

  10. Posted by: LKid on December 23, 2008 at 6:45 am

    “they forgot the riserbar hype ! i mean who needs a riser bar to make barspins when this bike is made to run fast… who is doing barspins while rushing the streets ? cmon fuck off hipsters… i mean ok i have a fixie to but i had it earlier than this trend and i hate to see everybody wearing plugs and those wannabe pista caps on their pink or neon frames with neon tires etc.
    i am pretty ashamed of this hype but keep on riding. just smash carbon parts if you see them on street xD”

    dude, shhh.
    why is it that all the ‘real’ fixie community act like they are so pure about their whole scene and act like experts? you all act like you were the first person to ride a fixed gear. and also, freestyle fixie riding is lame as fuck. their imitations of bmx should be kept to bmx.

  11. Posted by: dave@dave.com on December 23, 2008 at 6:44 am

    Hate the game.

  12. Posted by: kal on December 23, 2008 at 3:11 am

    hahaahha wow ppl hatin on it are taking it too seriously….people stop being little bitches and claiming that people who come even remotely close to this are like tools and shit and hating on whats popular because everyone conforms in their own ways and tries not to conform at the same time realize that everyone has a style they rock and stop hatin on everything you see thats different from ur own taste

  13. Posted by: Mohsin on December 23, 2008 at 2:47 am

    lmfao at da apic

  14. Posted by: f&f^ on December 23, 2008 at 2:30 am

    lol get merked nyc..

  15. Posted by: M. JOSIAH on December 22, 2008 at 11:31 pm

    You guys are funny, I don’t ride much any more… I run now. But no matter how a rider looks or how it may offend you, the good thing is that it’s one less car on the road, one less person using gas and oil, and it’s one less person contributing to deaths of hundreds of thousands of middle eastern people to support our nations addiction to oil. So in a word it’s healthier for the rider and better for the environment.

  16. Posted by: D on December 22, 2008 at 10:05 pm

    this dude is a bootleg version of this:

    http://www.yourscenesucks.com/

  17. Posted by: Break Yourself on December 22, 2008 at 9:50 pm

    Don’t throw stones if you live in a glass house. Grotesk’s work looks like bites of others from espo to kevin lyons.

  18. Posted by: Chris on December 22, 2008 at 9:22 pm

    Go up north in Chicago and this is all you see

  19. Posted by: Real Talk on December 22, 2008 at 7:48 pm

    Hipster designers in Brooklyn print coming soon! ^ haha

  20. Posted by: Rhandy T on December 22, 2008 at 7:46 pm

    Good Job Kimou! Super awsome illustration!

  21. Posted by: Hip-set turdgand on December 22, 2008 at 7:10 pm

    ^^^^^ I LOL’D!

    don’t get butt hurt though, jokes are jokes////

  22. Posted by: Quickstriker on December 22, 2008 at 7:05 pm

    Haha bar spins. Is so lame haha

  23. Posted by: cordlessbutt on December 22, 2008 at 6:55 pm

    its sand paper

    funny tho

  24. Posted by: drez on December 22, 2008 at 6:42 pm

    wow this is all wicker park here

  25. Posted by: Grease on December 22, 2008 at 6:41 pm

    FUCKN AWESOME!! THAT PIC REPRESENTS HALF OF OHIO STATE’S CAMPUS, BUNCHA FAKE BIKE MESSENGERS!!!

  26. Posted by: RecluIgloo.blogspot.com on December 22, 2008 at 6:30 pm

    “when is the transplanted graphic designer living in brooklyn print coming out?”- ZING
    “Has anyone here ever heard people in impoverished neighborhoods complain about hipsters?”- yeah they do actually, when they’re aware of gentrification

  27. Posted by: herby on December 22, 2008 at 6:04 pm

    when is the transplanted graphic designer living in brooklyn print coming out?

  28. Posted by: ives on December 22, 2008 at 6:03 pm

    That is SO SPOT ON! I’ve been bike-messangerering for years and i can tell you i hate those posers!

  29. Posted by: Antihipster on December 22, 2008 at 5:53 pm

    they forgot the riserbar hype ! i mean who needs a riser bar to make barspins when this bike is made to run fast… who is doing barspins while rushing the streets ? cmon fuck off hipsters… i mean ok i have a fixie to but i had it earlier than this trend and i hate to see everybody wearing plugs and those wannabe pista caps on their pink or neon frames with neon tires etc.
    i am pretty ashamed of this hype but keep on riding. just smash carbon parts if you see them on street xD

  30. Posted by: sfjasd90fjwe90j on December 22, 2008 at 5:41 pm

    it’s -3 outside where I’m at. You have to be a fool to be wearing skinny jeans and ride breakless.

  31. Posted by: marc on December 22, 2008 at 5:30 pm

    Hilarious! Sand paper is misspelled.

  32. Posted by: beast on December 22, 2008 at 5:14 pm

    this is the latest version of hypebeast after slim denim became hype. cool, i see these tools everywhere. what are they trying to prove?

  33. Posted by: JERSEYFAME on December 22, 2008 at 5:12 pm

    hahaah skinhy jeans are the worst idea since electing George Bush!!!

  34. Posted by: Quickstriker on December 22, 2008 at 5:07 pm

    What a surprise! This is like 95% of the bikers out here in the Bay Area haha.

  35. Posted by: blahblah on December 22, 2008 at 4:40 pm

    Hilarious!! This cartoon fits the description of the youth in Portland, OR too.

  36. Posted by: DIE HIPSTER YUPPIE SCUM on December 22, 2008 at 4:32 pm

    WOW THIS IS 75% OF THE READERS OF THIS BLOG

  37. Posted by: gangsterassgrandma on December 22, 2008 at 4:30 pm

    $2500 italian conversion frame. no track dropouts here. this shit is funny tho…epsecially the pre-wornout shoes trick…ahhh nyc what a funny place it is.

  38. Posted by: LEGO on December 22, 2008 at 4:26 pm

    its funny cause I just got through watching QUICKSILVER

  39. Posted by: sqm on December 22, 2008 at 4:25 pm

    point-on!!! haha!

  40. Posted by: NYC on December 22, 2008 at 4:17 pm

    THIS IS SO SPOT ON ITS NOT EVEN FUNNY.

  41. Posted by: marv albert on December 22, 2008 at 4:09 pm

    ouch. i would hate to be the guy in the picture. that guy is everywhere. im glad im not one.

  42. Posted by: katjakassin on December 22, 2008 at 4:03 pm

    I think this is pretty hilarious.

  43. Posted by: Clutchin, on December 22, 2008 at 3:55 pm

    I lol’d!

    haha AYPEESEE’ssssssssssss!!!

  44. Posted by: Steez Louise on December 22, 2008 at 3:55 pm

    he spelled sand wrong

  45. Posted by: Dex on December 22, 2008 at 3:53 pm

    YEEEEESS hahaha I was waiting for somethin like this to come out

  46. Posted by: renai beast on December 22, 2008 at 3:48 pm

    wow, it seems like anyone that tries something ‘different’ will be horribly ostracized by an IDENTICAL community! Has anyone here ever heard people in impoverished neighborhoods complain about hipsters? Some people should get over that fact that others like to wear clothes different from theirs and move on to something that’s actually worth complaining about i.e. numerous rights being taken away from us as i type this?

    nonetheless, that picture is still pretty funny :P